Data Storage- Present and the Future

Data Storage implies a repository for storing consumer and business information for a time period as per user requirements. Storage devices for consumers are portable, enabling consumers in retrieving their data irrespective of time and location. Enterprise storage helps in storing operational data of enterprises via an interconnected network of storage devices such as hyper-converged infrastructure, cloud-based storage, software-defined storage, and flash array & hard disk. The adoption of enterprise data storage has witnessed traction in IT industry for disaster recovery as a primary solution.

Continuous reduction in costs of consumer storage devices viz. solid-state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) is influencing the growth of the Middle East data storage market in the near future, according to a report by Future Market Insights (FMI). Development of 3D NAND technology is the game-changer for consumer storage industry, declining the prices and surging the capacities of SSD. Growing presence of regional players in market across major countries is further reinforcing the competition, which in turn is resulting into reduction in average selling price of the storage devices for consumers.

Soaring Demand for IoT Devices poised to Fuel the Growth of Market in the Near Future

Advancements in social and information technology has paved a path for unabated growth of data. Business enterprises are inclining from compression and duplication techniques towards data centres and rack servers for managing growth of big data. This offers enterprises with an improved, cost-effective, and a scalable platform solution. In addition, soaring demand for smartphones and many other IoT devices, coupled with rising social media channels, have resulted into growing demand for additional storage. These factors are expected to fuel the growth of the market in the upcoming years.

The vendors in enterprise data storage market are focusing on introduction to high-performance computing solutions comprising minimum complexities. In data-intensive applications, for example modelling and simulation of enterprise process results into huge amount of complex data. For storing and processing this data, access to high-performance solutions, capable of managing escalating data capacities, is imperative.

Two Examples of Emerging Storage Technologies of the Future are Enlisted Below

SMR: Shingled Magnetic Recording– By squeezing tracks together, shingled magnetic recording attains higher areal densities. Like shingles on the roof, tracks overlap each other, allowing to write more data to the same space. Owing to writing of new data, drive tracks are shingled, or trimmed. As reader element on drive head is comparatively smaller than writer, the overall data is yet capable of being read off shingled track, without compromising data reliability or integrity. In addition, traditional writer and reader elements can be utilised for SMR. This does not need significant new production capital for utilisation in a product, enabling shingled magnetic recording-enabled hard disk drives in helping to keep prices low.

DNA– This is foreseen to be new strangest storage technology of future. Molecule which stores biological information is likely to be utilised for storing other types of data. In 2012, Harvard researchers encoded DNA with digital information, which included a 53,400-word book encrypted in HTML, one JavaScript program, and 11 JPEG images. DNA provides with an incredible storage density of 2.2 petabytes/gram, implying that DNA hard drive of the size of teaspoon is capable of fitting the overall world’s data- ever video ever shared, song ever composed, and book ever written. Besides space savings, the DNA is ideal in terms of long-term storage. While a hard drive lasts for four years, according to George Church, lead Harvard researcher, one can drop the DNA wherever he/she wants, in their backyard or desert, and it will yet be there even 400,000 years later.

Abhishek Budholiya is a tech blogger, digital marketing pro, and has contributed to numerous tech magazines. Currently, as a technology and digital branding consultant with Future Market Insights, he offers his analysis on the tech market research landscape. His forte is analysing the commercial viability of a new breakthrough, a trait you can see in his writing. When he is not ruminating about the tech world, he can be found playing table tennis or hanging out with his friends.